Shloka 20
The Syamantaka Jewel: Accusation, Recovery, and Kṛṣṇa’s Marriage to Satyabhāmā
तत्र दृष्ट्वा मणिप्रेष्ठं बालक्रीडनकं कृतम् । हर्तुं कृतमतिस्तस्मिन्नवतस्थेऽर्भकान्तिके ॥ २० ॥
tatra dṛṣṭvā maṇi-preṣṭhaṁ bāla-krīḍanakaṁ kṛtam hartuṁ kṛta-matis tasminn avatasthe ’rbhakāntike
Dort sah der Herr Śrī Kṛṣṇa, dass das kostbarste Juwel zum Spielzeug eines Kindes gemacht worden war. Entschlossen, es an sich zu nehmen, trat Er an das Kind heran.
FAQs
This verse describes the jewel being treated as a child’s plaything, highlighting how extraordinary wealth can appear ordinary in another setting, even as it provokes greed in one who recognizes its value.
Upon recognizing the jewel’s supreme value, the person’s mind became fixed on taking it, so he stayed close to the child, waiting for an opportunity—showing how greed overrides moral restraint.
Guard the mind from fixation on others’ possessions; recognizing how desire escalates into wrongdoing helps one choose integrity and self-control over opportunism.